PARIS (AP) – With the rugby World Cup in France looming, French rugby federation president Bernard Laporte (AP, pic below) resigned from his position yesterday after he was convicted in a corruption case last month, the French sports minister said.
A Paris court in December found Laporte guilty of passive corruption, influence peddling, illegal interest taking and misuse of corporate assets.
His stepping down came a day after French rugby clubs voted against accepting Patrick Buisson as interim president. Buisson was nominated by the suspended Laporte to replace him on an interim basis while he fought his suspended two-year sentence on corruption charges.
About 90 per cent of clubs participated in Thursday’s electronic vote, which went against Buisson by 51 per cent to 49 per cent.
L’Equipe newspaper first reported that Laporte submitted his resignation during an executive committee meeting of the federation with French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra yesterday.
